28/07/2026
Who remembers Vale Families Magazine? 🙋♀️
I created this before I discovered the power of social media! For three whole years, I ran this local, free community magazine, delivered straight into every child's school book bag across Evesham, Pershore & Broadway.
It fitted my life perfectly back then. I wanted to be at home with my little boy (that's us on the cover of the first issue! 🥹), and this table-top business matched my sales, design, and community-building skills to a tee.
Every issue featured interviews with local teachers, a pets page, local "what’s on" guides, a charity spotlight, and community news. Plus we had a good selection of local recommended businesses promoting inside every issue.
Looking back now, I’m actually quite impressed! Not at my early design skills 🙈, but at the fact that I pulled it off entirely on my own from a tiny space under the stairs (very Harry Potter!). I edited, designed, and distributed 20,000 copies every term with a little help from friends, too.
But as my son grew older, it no longer fitted my goals, and I felt it was time to move on. Closing that business wasn't a failure—it was a stepping stone. Just like changing jobs, having a business doesn't mean you're locked into it forever. You can pivot to suit your life as it changes!
That chapter gave me the experience and foundation to build my best ventures yet. It directly led to running the Love Evesham Noticeboard ❤️ and setting up Katie’s Bright Ideas to help other small business owners with their own marketing and socials.
This was my 3rd business... I'm now on my 4th! I have zero regrets, even about the times things went t*ts up. Failure is just feedback. 💡
So, if you've got a business idea brewing, do your research and go for it. Or if you’re currently running a business that you no longer love and need a fresh direction, reach out!
If you're local, I’m always up for a chat. Maybe I can give you that next bright idea. 💡✨